The group said it is disturbed by the ‘scheming’ and
‘maneuvers’ in the country suggesting southern interest in the 2019 presidency
and reiterated that the north should retain the presidency in 2019, a position
it had communicated to the south-west political leaders during a meeting in
Abeokuta, Ogun State, on June 6, 2017.

Comrade Elliot said: “We want to reiterate and clearly warn
that the North will

not, and will never allow presidency to move to the South
in 2019.

“As much as we can tolerate or pay any sacrifice for the
unity of this country, we remain committed to a northern president in 2019.”

Afiyo said the group has forwarded the names of the endorsed
persons to its patrons and the leadership of the 42 affiliated organisations to
Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) for screening and for the endorsement of
only two candidates who will be considered during its 15th Annual National
Convention coming up in September, 2017, in Kano.

“We want to send a message to all political
parties that may field southern presidential candidates in 2019 election
that such action will amount to committing a political suicide,” a statement by
the group said.

It warned northern leaders to desist from supporting
candidates from the South and insisted that such action would be counter-productive
to their irreversible decision for a 2019 northern presidency.

The group
further called on all northern youths to embrace dialogue and peace, and not to
allow themselves to be swayed by those who use religion and ethnicity to divide
the north and gain political advantage.

Afiyo said NYLF was strongly instrumental to the
emergence of “Olusegun Obasanjo, Musa Yar’adua and Goodluck Jonathan
as well as current President Muhammadu Buhari as presidents in 2003, 2007, 2011
and 2015, respectively, without regional bias.

The group said its actions are always guided by national
interest far above any other interest.

On the quit notice to Igbo by some sections of the Northern
youth group, Afiyo said the agitators were angry members who felt they were
used and abandoned by the All Progressives Congress (APC) politicians.

We strongly believe the groups of northern youths were
motivated, encouraged and sponsored by some individuals who felt cheated by
both the federal government and some state governments controlled by the APC.

“These individuals were used and dumped; no recognition or
appreciation was extended to them.

They are, therefore, bent on destabilizing the government,”
he said.

The forum also inferred that the coalition of northern
youth’s reckless action might have been incited by “our Igbo brothers insult
and abuse of other nationalities, especially the northerners, calling us cows
and parasites.”

The statement further said: “We condemn in strongest terms,
the approach of our brothers in issuing an ultimatum to Igbo. No nation or
ethnic nationality can survive on its own without the support and help of
another.

“Northerners need the Igbo, the Igbo need the Yoruba, and
Yoruba need the Hausa. We are totally against the balkanisation of Nigeria. We
know the price the North paid for the unity of this country. We are more
determined, committed and willing to continue to pay the price to keep this
country one; not because we are afraid of our brothers from the east, west and
south, nor are we afraid of the future, but for the labour of our heroes past.”

The forum said advised all groups to operate within the
ambits of the rule of law and strongly condemned the use of violence and hate
speech in the country.

It also called on the federal government and the Inspector
General of Police to, “withdraw, forthwith, the directive to arrest the
signatories of the Kaduna declaration.”

“We believe our brothers in the South have said more than
what our brothers said and were not arrested. There is, therefore, no justification for
the arrest.”

The statement went on to appeal to Acting President Yemi
Osinbajo to call for a meeting of genuine leaders of the northern youths and
southern youths to find a way forward for the country.

The group challenged the presidency to release the reports
of the past constitutional conferences and constitute a committee to look into
the recommendations of the conferences with a view to charting a way forward
on restructuring the country.

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